The 905 came into their game against the Delaware Blue Coats in the fifth spot of the G-League’s Eastern Division after losing their last game to the Blue Coats 112-97. With only six teams making the playoffs from the Division: the baby Raptors had just a half-game cushion over the Capital City Go-Gos, who sit in the seventh spot.
The recent influx of NBA talent has given the 905 a chance to move up in the standings and perhaps contend for the franchise’s second G-League championship. Joe Wieskamp, Ron Harper Jr., Christian Koloko, Jeff Dowtin Jr., along with Dalano Banton have given a team that has been up and down all year an opportunity for a playoff push.
Delaware entered the game second in the East with an 18-7 record. The Blue Coats have an impressive line-up of physical bigs and great 3-point shooters. They are a well-coached, well-oiled team and their impressive 12-2 road record along with eight straight wins away from home shows it. The Blue Coats bring a group of athletic, highly talented young players including Mac McClung, Sekou Doumbouya, Michael Foster Jr., Pat McCaw and Aminu Mohammed. All of whom have played high-level college hoops and many of whom have serious NBA experience.
Coach Khoury talked pre-game about increasing their physicality to deal with the team from Delaware. The Blue Coat’’s defence was a big concern, especially their ability to close down the 905’s offensive actions.
The Blue Coats tried to establish that physicality on the very first play of the game. Michael Foster Jr. easily won the tip-off against Christian Koloko and the men from Delaware used their big bodies inside the paint to create an easy lay-up. Within two minutes the 905 were down eight to nothing. The opposition swung the ball on the perimeter to create space inside. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, the Raptors took only two shots and had two turnovers.
After coach Eric Khoury’s time-out, the 905 came back energized and tied up the score but the tone for the game had already been set. The Blue Coats would make a run and establish the lead and the 905 would keep pushing back to try and level the score.
Mac McClung found himself with an open bucket off a transition play: the arena fans waited expectantly for the dunk champion to flash a spectacular flush but McClung chose to just lay the ball in. Boos rained down from the unappreciative spectators.
The Delawareans would take a five-point lead into the half but led by as much as 15. The 905’s second unit with Dalano Banton and Christian Koloko was the driving force behind the 2nd quarter comeback.
The second half was more of the same. Delaware’s starters dominated for most of the final two periods. The 905’s second unit would sub in and try and close the lead.
The game was never really in contention. The Blue Coats were obviously the better team and controlled the second half. They allowed the Mississaugans to come close but never threaten. According to Coach Khoury, Delaware’s ability to “control the paint and hit timely 3s was the difference.”
While the Raptors obviously brought a lot of individual talent to the floor, the Blue Coats were by far the better team.
Louis King was dominant for the visitors. At 6’7” he is an intriguing combination of size, mobility, quickness and skill. He led the Blue Coats with 24 points on 7-of-15 shooting along with six boards, an assist, and a block.
McClung brought his choirboy looks but was a demonic presence scoring 21 points on just 14 shots and recording five assists.
For the 905ers, their individual talents were on display but their inability to work together outweighed the skill:
Banton had 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting, an assist, and a steal. He was the only 905 player to register a positive plus-minus with plus-9. He was everywhere on the court on offence. Sometimes ignoring open teammates on the perimeter to take the ball to the rim. His finishing at the rack could have been better.
The easy finish here off a nice drive and lay-down by Sterling Brown.
Christian Koloko is developing his connector game on the offensive side. He is very active running screens on the perimeter. His 3-point shot looked smoother in his only attempt from outside the perimeter. His slight frame, however, was a factor. The Blue Coat bigs were just too wide-bodied for Koloko. Koloko ended with nine points on improved finishing around the rim but with just four rebounds. He and Banton did run a really nice pick-and-roll.
Defensively, he is a presence. He celebrated his African roots with a Dikembe Mutombo-esque finger wag after a block.
Jeff Dowtin was at his cerebral best but the Blue Coat starters were just too much. He tried to move his teammates to take advantage of the spacing that was open but the lack of chemistry stymied a lot of opportunities. He seems to be stuck for the short term in Mississauga. It will be interesting to see if he gets a call-up to the big club. Dowtin ended the evening with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, six assists, and six boards.
The Blue Coats were a great litmus test for the 905. The team needs to grow as a unit. The talent is not in question just their ability to work together. Coach Khoury will be put to the test to develop more chemistry between his players and find ways to bring this team together. It’s gonna be a fun ride to watch this team evolve and make a push for a deep playoff run.
